Sheet collecting and folding mechanism for printing presses



' Sept. 27, 1938. H. M. BARBER 2,131,363

SHEET COLLECTING AND FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRES-5E3 Filed March 1, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ZAVM flym ATTORNEYS Sept. 27, 1938. H. M. BARBER 2,131,353

SHEET COLLECTING AND FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTiNG PRESSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1, 1937 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 27, 1938 SHEET COLLECTING AND FOLDING MEcH ANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Howard M. Barber, Pawcatuck, Conn, assignor to C. B. Cottrell & Sons Company, a corporation of Delaware Application March 1,

Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide novel means whereby selected products of a different number of pages and page widths may be delivered in one direction or in opposite directions,

5 as desired.

The object of this invention is more particularly to provide a novel means whereby the product' of a web printing press,-when the product is cut into an odd number of sheets or superimposed sheets, may be collected in full or in part on a collecting and folding cylinder having an even number of collecting surfaces, folded off therefrom, and delivered to one delivery in four page signatures or multiples thereof; the remaining sheet or sheets, if any, being folded off from the cutting and folding cylinder and delivered to another delivery.

A further object of my invention is to simplify the mechanism shown, described and claimed in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,968,630, dated July 31, 1934.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a diagrammatic side elevation showing one of the couples of a rotary web perfecting printing press in connection with which my improved sheet collecting and folding mechanism is used; 1

Fig. 2 represents a diagrammatic side elevation of my improved sheet collecting and folding mechanism;

Fig. 3 represents a detail view in side elevation illustrating the cams for controlling the sheet engaging and folding devices on the several cylinders;

Fig. 4 represents a similar view illustrating anthe form or printing cylinder being denoted by A and the impression by A.

The printed web four pages wide may be fed from the press to the coacting web feed rolls land 2 around the rolls B and F. Twonarrow webs two pages wide may be fed from the press .5 to the feed rolls I and 2 around the rolls B, C

Wcsterly, It. I.,

1937, Serial No. 128,332

and F. Four narrow webs one page wide may be fed from the press to the feed rolls 1 and 2 around the rolls'B, C, F, D, E and G respectively. The feed rolls l and 2 advance the Web or webs between the rotary cutter 3, in the present instance a cutting cylinder and the cutting and folding cylinder 4, to cut the web or webs into an odd number of sheets or superimposed sheets each cycle of the press. The rotary cutter 3 is provided with two equally spaced cutting blades 5 and 6 and the cutting and folding cylinder 4 is successive coaction with the cutting blades 5 and 6 of the said rotary cutter 3. The rotary cutter 3 is two-thirds the circumference of the printing cylinder A, or four pages around. The cutting and folding cylinder 4' has the same circumferential length as the printing cylinder A.

This cutting and folding cylinder 4 is provided with threesets of equally spaced sheet taking devices, in the present instance impaling pins I0, II and I2 and a folding blade I3. This folding blade I3 is arranged to coact, when desired, with a folding jaw M on a folding'and delivery cylinder l5, which has the same circumferential length as the cutting and folding cylinder 4.

The collecting and folding cylinder l6 which has the same circumferential length as the rotary cutter 3 is provided with two equally spaced sheet engaging devices, in the present instance impaling pins IT and I8, as well as two intermediate equally spaced folding blades I9 and 20, which folding blades coact at the proper times, when so desired-,vrith -a single set of folding jaws 2| on the folding and delivery cylinder 22, the circumferential a. length of which is equal to the printing cylinder A of the press.

A suitable packer delivery 23 is provided for receiving the signatures from the folding and delivery cylinder l5, and another oppositely arranged packer delivery 24 is provided for receiving the signatures from the folding and delivery cylinder 22.

The means which I have shown for controlling the operation of the several sheet engaging and folding devices for collecting, folding and delivering the selected product to one or both deliveries may be constructed, arranged and operated as follows:

A changeable rotary box cam is mounted on the shaft 25 of the cutting and folding cylinder 4, which box cam comprises a common half member 26 and two interchangeable half members 21 and 28. The common half member 26 has a semicircular cam groove 29 concentric with the provided with three cutting slots 1, 8 and 9 for shaft 25. The interchangeable half member 21 has a semicircular groove 3!] matching with the groove 29 and having an offset portion 3!. The interchangeable half member 28 is provided with a semicircular groove 32 matching with the groove 29 in the common half member 26. This groove 32 is concentric with the shaft 25.

When it is desired to control the action of sets of normally projecting impaling pins l1 and IS on the collecting and folding cylinder l6 at their sheet taking point the rotary cam members 26 and 2'! are used. A movable cam 33 is brought,

into and out of its position to engage the rollers 34, 35 of the sets of disappearing impaling pins I1 and I8 by providing the movable cam 33 with a stud or roller 36 which travels in the cam groove 29, 30, 3|. When it is not desired to control the action of the sets of disappearing impaling pins l1 and I8 at their sheet taking point the cam members 26 and 2B are used and the cam 33 is thereby held out of its operative position as its stud or roller travels in the concentric cam groove 29, 32. A movable cam 31 controls the sets of disappearing impaling pins I1 and I8 on the collecting and folding cylinder Hi to permit the signatures to be folded off onto the folding and delivery cylinder 22. This movable cam 31 is provided with a stud or roller 38 which travels in the groove 39 of a rotary box cam 40 mounted on the shaft 4| of the said cyl inder 22, said groove 39 having an offset portion 42.

A stationary cam 43 is arranged in position to engage the stud or roller 44 of the folding jaws 2! on the folding and delivery cylinder 22 to open the jaws to receive the signatures from the collecting and folding cylinder 15. Another stationary cam 45 is arranged in position to engage the stud or roller 44 of the folding jaws 2| to open the jaws at the proper point to deliver the signatures to the delivery 24.

A changeable rotary box cam is mounted on the shaft 45 of the folding and delivery cylinder l5, which box cam comprises a common half member 41 and two interchangeable half members 48 and 49. The common half member 41 has a semicircular cam groove 50 concentric with the shaft 45. The interchangeable half member 4-8 has a semicircular groove matching with the groove 50 and having an offset portion 52. The interchangeable half member 49 is provided with a semicircular groove 53 matching with the groove 50 in the common half member 41 and concentric with the shaft 46. When it is desired to control the action of the sets of normally projecting impaling pins In, H and J2 on the cutting and folding cylinder 4 at their sheet transfer point, the rotary cam members 41 and 48 are used. When it is not desired to control the action of the said sets of impaling pins H], II and I2 at their transfer point the cam members 41 and 49 are used. The movable cam for controlling the action of these disappearing impaling pins [0, H and i2 is denoted by 54, which movable cam is provided with a stud or roller 55 traveling either in the cam groove 50, 5|, 52 or the cam groove 50, 53, as the case may be. This movable cam 54 is arranged, when operating, to successively engage the studs or rollers 56, 51 and 58 on the impaling pins I0, II and I2 respectively.

A fixed cam 59 is arranged in position to open the jaws M on the folding and delivery cylinder i5 to coact with the folding blade l3 of the cutting and folding cylinder 4, said cam 59 engaging the stud or roller 60 of said folding jaws. Another fixed cam BI is arranged to engage the said stud or roller 5!! to open the jaws to deliver the signatures to the packer delivery 23.

A laterally movable cam 62 of well known or approved form is arranged to be brought into and out of the path of the studs or rollers 56, 51, 58 to withdraw the three impaling pins l0, II and I2 to transfer the entire product to the collecting and folding cylinder [6 or to withdraw a selected two of these pins when one-third of the product is to be transferred to the folding and delivery cylinder l5.

In the embodiment of the invention shown and described herein'the operation is as follows:

The full forty-eight page product of the press is collected, folded and delivered in any of the following combinations, to wit:

Four eight page signatures to delivery 24 and four four page signatures to delivery 23; or four twelve page signatures to delivery 24; or two sixteen page signatures to delivery 24 and two eight page signatures to delivery 23; or two twentyfour page signatures to delivery 24; or one thirtytwo page signature to delivery 24 and one sixteen page signature to delivery 23.

When the full web four pages wide is to be collected, folded and delivered, the web is cut into three sheets each'cycle of the press. When the web is slit into two narrow webs two pages wide the two webs are combined and then cut into three pairs of sheets each cycle of the press. When the web is slit into four narrow websone page wide the four narrow webs are combined and cut into three groups of four sheets each, each cycle of the press.

When four eight page signatures are to be delivered to the delivery 24 and four four page signatures to the delivery 23, the web four pages wide is fed between the rotary cutter 3 and the cutting and folding cylinder 4. The cams 33 and 62 are operated so that the first and third signatures are taken by the impaling pins I! on the collecting and folding cylinder I6. The two superimposed signatures on the cylinder I Gare folded off onto the folding and delivery cylinder 22 and they are slit longitudinally by the slitters 63 into four eight page signatures and then deposited onto the delivery 24. The second signature is folded ofi from the cylinder 4 onto the folding and delivery cylinderl5 and there slit longitudinally by the slitters 64 into four four page signatures and then deposited onto the delivery 23.

Where four twelve page signatures are to be delivered to the delivery 24 the web four pages wide is cut on the cylinder 4 and collected alternately by the pins I! and I8 on the cylinder l6 until each set of pins has a signature of three sheets. These signatures are folded off onto the folding and delivery cylinder 22 and there slit longitudinally by the slitters 63 into four signatures of twelve pages each and then deposited onto the delivery 24.

Where two sixteen page signatures are to be delivered to the delivery 24 and two eight page signatures to the delivery 23, the web is slit longitudinally into two narrow webs two pages wide and superimposed before passing between the rotary cutter 3 and the cutting and folding cylinder 4. The cams 33 and 62 are operated so that the first and third groups of sheets are taken by the pins H on the collecting and folding cylinder l6 and the second group of sheets are folded off onto the cylinder I5; the four superimposed sheets on the' cylinder l6 are folded off onto the folding and delivery cylinder 22 and there'slit longitudinally by the slitters 63 into-two sixteen 'page'signatures' and then deposited onto the delivery 24. The second group of sheets which-was folded off from the cylinder *5 is slit longitudinally by the slitters '64 into two eight page signatures and then deposited onto the delivery-23.

Where two twenty-four ipa'ge signatures are to be delivered tdthe delivery 24, the'web is slit longitudinally into two narrow webs two pages wide and superimposed before passing them between the rotary cutter 3 and cutting and folding cylinder 4. These groups of sheets are then taken alternately by the pins l1 and I8 on the collecting and folding cylinder l6 until three collections are made on each set of pins. The sheets are then successively folded off onto the folding and delivery cylinder 22 and slit longitudinally by the slitters 63 into two twenty-four page signatures and then deposited onto the delivery 24. I

Where one thirty-two page signature is to be delivered to the delivery 24 and. one sixteen page signature to the delivery 23, the web is slit longitudinally into four narrow webs one page wide and superimposed before being passed between the rotary cutter 3 and the cutting and folding cylinder 4. The first and third groups of sheets are collected by the pins H on the cylinder l6 and the second group of sheets is folded off onto the folding and delivery cylinder IS. The groups of sheets on the cylinder I6 are folded off to their folding and delivery cylinder 22. The signatures on these two cylinders l5 and 22 are then delivered to their respective deliveries 23 and 24.

Where one forty-eight page signature is to be delivered to the delivery 24 the web is slit longitudinally into four narrow webs one page wide and superimposed before being passed between the rotary cutter 3 and the cutting and folding cylinder 4. These groups of sheets are taken alternately by the pins l1 and I8 on the cylinder 55 until three collections are made on each set of pins. These groups of sheets are then successively folded off onto the folding and delivery cylinder 22 and deposited thereby onto the delivery 24. g

It will be understood that the several cams hereinbefore described are interchanged and operate to produce the various results set forth.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but

What I claim is:

1. Means for cutting the web product of one cycle of a printing press into an odd number of sheets or groups of sheets and means for collooting and folding the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures and delivering them to one or two delivery points, said means including a rotary cutter having an even number of equally spaced cutting blades, and a cutting and folding cylinder having an odd number of cutting slots for successive coaction with said cutting blades, an odd number of equally spaced sheet receiving surfaces and a single folding blade, 2. coacting collecting and folding cylinder having an even number of equally spaced sheet collecting? surfaces-andLan even number of intermediate equally spaced folding blades, and two folding and delivery cylinders, one having a single folding :jawlarranged'to coact with the folding blade onthe-cutting and folding cylinder and the other having a single." folding. jaw arranged to coact with the foldirigtblades .on-the collecting andfoldingcylindenz: v I Ti 2. Means for cutting thev webrproduc't of one cycle of a printing press into an'o'ddi'number of sheets orgroupsiof sheets and means for collecting and folding the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures and delivering them to one or two delivery points, said means including a rotary cutter having an even number of equally spaced cutting blades, and a cutting and folding cylinder having an odd number of cutting slots for successive coaction with saidv cutting blades, an odd number of equally spaced sheet receiving surfaces and a single folding blade, a coacting collecting and folding cylinder having an even number of equally spaced sheet collecting surfaces and an even number of intermediate equally spaced folding blades, and two folding and. delivery cylinders, one having a single folding jaw arranged to coact with the folding blade on the cutting and folding cylinder and the other having a single folding jaw arranged to coact with the folding blades on the collecting and foldingcylinder, the cutting and folding cylinder and the two folding and delivery cylinders each having the same circumferential length, and the rotarycutter and the collecting and folding cylinder each having two-thirds the circumferential length of the cutting and folding cylinder and the two folding and. delivery cylinders.

3. Means for cutting the web product of one cycle of a printing press into three sheets or groups of sheets, means for collecting and folding the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures and delivering them to one or two delivery points, said means including a rotary cutter having two equally spaced cutting blades, 2. cutting and folding cylinder havingthree equally spaced cutting slots for successive coaction with said cutting blades, three equally spaced sheet receiving surfaces and a single folding blade, a coacting collecting and folding cylinder having two equally spaced sheet collecting surfaces and two intermediate equally spaced folding blades, and two folding and delivery cylinders, one having a single folding jaw arranged to coact with the folding blade on the cutting and folding cylinder and the other having a single folding jaw arranged to coact with the folding blades onthe collecting and folding cylinder.

4. Means for cutting the web product of one cycle of a printing press into three sheets or groups of sheets, means for collecting and folding the sheets or groups of sheets intovarious paged signatures and delivering them to one or two delivery points, said means including a rotary cutter having two equally spaced cutting blades, a cutting and folding cylinder having three equally spaced cutting slots for successive 00- action with said cutting blades, three equally spaced sheet receiving surfaces and a single folding blade, acoacting collecting and folding cylinder having two equally spaced sheet collecting surfaces and two intermediate equally spaced folding blades, and two folding and delivery cylinders, one having a single folding jaw arranged to coact with the folding blade on the cutting 10 printing cylinder.

5. In asheet collecting and folding mechanism for web printing presses, two sheet delivery points, a cutting and folding cylinder, a rotary cutter, a sheet collecting and folding cylinder and two sheet folding and delivery cylinders, the

rotary cutter, the collecting and folding cylinder and one of the folding and delivery cylinders each being arranged to coact with the cutting and folding cylinder, and the other folding and delivery cylinder being arranged to coact with the collecting and folding cylinder.

HOWARD M. BARBER. 

